I'm wondering about how to tell you to be very careful about whar color blue you wear. Most people don't know it's against the law to wear any shade of blue close to that used for U S Air Force uniforms?

April Fool!

Today is April I. We all know what that means...especially those of us with any children in the house. They love a day when playing practical jokes is generally accepted and brings gales of laughter for a while. How many times will it take for you to catch on and say...That's Enough! No More! ...I really mean it this time!

April I is also a day that is important to some children, but for these children there may be little laughter today or any day. April is Child Abuse Prevention month. Today people and organizations everywhere are finding ways to bring attention to child abuse in the hopes of making a difference. Blue ribbons, blue banners, blue pinwheels, blue candles, blue lights, blue clothes, blue, blue, blue will sprout like early croci any where there are people who want to say about child abuse... That's Enough! No More! I really mean it this time!

What will you do in April? Will you wear blue to increase awareness of child abuse? Will you use blue ribbons to send the message that you protect children? Will you do something creative with blue to demonstrate your commitment to child abuse prevention?

Take Care...Be Aware! Watch for Amber Alerts Here.

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About Most of the Children...

The children whose pictures are on this Blog are not abused or neglected...at least not to my knowledge! Or should I say no more than what falls within a "normal" range... for in my opinion all children experience some degree of abuse and neglect...if only from their own perspectives.

These children may look "neglected" in some cases but it is a momentary thing, as happens in the lives of all healthy children. Any child who is never rumpled or dirty is more likely to be at risk from some compulsive caregiver than from some occassional bad-hair days!

The children may look so very sad, confused, or whatever that "symptoms of abuse," come quickly to mind. But, children's routine lives are complex, often involving challenges that few of us would want to experience. We carelessly use words such as "resilient" to describe their extraordinary ability to deal with tragedies...great and small...as though it is somehow easier for them to bounce back quickly and easily from whatever comes along to stretch, bend or compress them out of shape.

Their ordinary emotional lives seem subject to higher peaks and lower valleys than some want to believe should or could be part of children's experiences. But whether we choose to believe or not, children- all children- inhabit a world filled with lonliness, pain and terror as well as beauty, joy and exhileration.

I salute and honor them, warriors and heroes all!

Sometimes I just wander...

ChildPerson From The South- The Story Behind the Name

Because you asked...

The name ChildPerson From the South was given to me by two very dear and special friends while I was living on Okinawa. Sensei, my teacher of Japanese, and our friend, Mr. Iso, followed my Chinese Brush Painting lesson progess with animated enthusiasm, always looking at each of my practice papers with delight and encouragement.

However, they also pressured me- sometimes gently- to change directions and study Sumi'e, the Japanes form of ink painting instead. I liked both styles of mediation in ink, but my heart was into the Chinese-Southern Style painting.

I studied and practiced with great love and uncharacteristic discipline, which impressed my CB teacher, a young woman from Mainland China who spoke little English, and had begun the class by showing us the proper way to hold the brush, and had the translator then say to our class, "but you are Americans so she knows you will not have the patience or discipline to learn to do this."

It is not exaggeration to say that I lived with the brush in my hand every waking hour. I practiced the brush strokes every possible moment, then copied, as is the Oriental way of learning, the Teacher's samples until sometimes she said she could not tell which was hers.

One evening during Japanese language class Sensei asked me to stay after class. What a surprise! ...with much ceremony he and Mr. Iso presented me with my own "name" and stone stamp for use on my Chinese Brusth paintings.

They had spent great time in deciding what the name should be, based on the the phonetic of Nancy, and their feelings about me. Meanwhile they ordered a bloodstone, from China, not knowing that is considered an alternative birthstone for me. They decided on Child Person From the South, because they explained I was so like a child in spirit, from the South from whence comes all good things- a great compliment to me from them to say the leasts. They selected an ancient Chinese script; then Mr. Iso carved the characters into the stone. His wife made a beautiful leather case, embossed with butterflies, for it.

We spend the evening drinking tea, lauging and "chopping" all the practice pieces I'd brought to share with them. And after giving me that priceless gift, they never again suggested-gently or otherwise : )- that I study the Japanese Sumi'e instead of the Chines Brush Painting.

And so...I remain in honor of them and myself and all Child Persons from the South and other wise...ChildPerson.

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Damara Lee and Friends

About The Child Person from the South

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